Susan's Place Transgender Resources

My doctor who would be prescribing my T will be leaving the practice on Thursday which is also her last day. I was told to call up on Thursday morning to get a same day appointment with her, I'm worried about going in to see her only to be told that she can't do the prescription for me because she won't be at the practice anymore, and I don't know if I should just make an appointment to see someone different. And if I go with someone different there's a risk they won't do the prescription for me. Any advice on what would be the better option? Wait til Thursday or make an appointment with someone new ASAP?

So, to get things straight - she has agreed to start you on T and yet, before you can be prescribed it, she is leaving the practice?

What were the circumstances regarding her agreeing to start you off?  In that I mean did you have a psych's letter or did she simply just agree to start you on T, no questions asked or through informed consent?

If not legally, then ethically and compassionately I believe that doctors have a duty to recommend someone who will treat you if they will not. 

Keep the appointment to see this doctor and ask her what she intends to recommend for your starting T and if she will go ahead and write you the prescription - because it's far easier to find another doctor to simply continue you on a script you are already on than to find one to start you off.

She would likely have colleagues whom she could recommend you see who would be happy to take the strides you have made under her care into consideration.

That's pretty much what's happening yeah.

I had a letter from Doctor Curtis which I gave to her explaining my circumstances and that I would be prescribed T after blood tests were done. I explained to her what I would like to happen after the blood tests were complete and I had the green light to start T, she accepted what I had to say, asked to keep a copy of the letter and said that when everything was done with the tests and I'm ready for the next step we would sort out the prescription.

My girlfriend is concerned that she may no long want to write me the prescription if she's leaving the practice, in which case I will need to find someone else who will, and hopefully they will be as accepting as the old doctor. If she can start me on it that would be great, and like you said I can just find someone to continue it, I'm just worried there's going to be a problem starting it and I'll have to wait ages.

You also have to remember that writing a T prescription takes special licensing for doctors. Maybe she can't write you the prescription because her licensing has expired? Some doctors let that kind of thing lapse when they are leaving medicine for good. Maybe give them a ring and ask if she could possibly call you so you can ask if she is able to write the prescription. Maybe even ask why she needs to see you physically to be able to write it if she still can. My doctor didn't. Once the blood tests were cleared (we talked about what T does and what I wanted and so on at the appointment I got my blood drawn on) his office called and told me I could pick my prescription up and get it filled. Then I went back to get taught how to self inject by a nurse.

I also agree that morally she should have someone to send you to. Make sure to get a copy of the blood work they did in case you have to go to another doctor so you can give them the completed blood tests. On average the tests take two weeks to get back for the hormone tests here in the USA.

Honestly if she can't write it for you or has someone else to see you that can write it I myself would not keep the appointment because it would be a waste of money IMO that would be better spent on a new doctor.

Do you have a local support group? They often keep off record lists of doctors that are willing to treat us.

I assume you're in the UK as you mentioned Dr Curtis.

If you're likely to be able to get an appointment sooner than Thursday I would make one with someone else, if not there's not much harm in seeing the doctor who's leaving and trying to get a prescription off her.  They're not going to reject you in the future just because she has said no due to her leaving the practice.  I can't say whether she will want to write the prescription though, because it depends whether she's leaving medicine or just moving to a new practice as "the Department of Health has advised that the legal responsibility for prescribing lies with the doctor who signs the prescription."

You will need to find someone else to take over the shared care once she's gone though.

It doesn't really cost me anything to make an appointment to see a doctor here in the UK, not sure how it works in America :( it's probably a bit too late for me see anyone now lol so I will have to stick to tomorrow. And yeah I am in the UK Alex, I'm hoping that she is just moving to a new practice, as she is fairly young still, maybe early 30s so I see no reason why she'd want to change out of a decent profession especially in UK's current economy, but I could be wishful thinking. I will definitely ask about her recommending me to someone that will write the prescription if she won't do it, I'm just worried as every other doctor in that practice are much older and I worry they probably have a more traditional way of thinking and may not understand as well as she does. Ah well I guess we will have to wait and see tomorrow.

I've spoken to two doctors about it, one in their early 40s and the other in their early 50s.  The older one was actually more competent, but both of them aren't prejudiced in anyway and I've not had any difficulty talking to them about it.  The only difficulty I'm having is that they can't seem to wrap their heads around the concept of referrals, but the whole practice seems to be lacking in brainpower and can't comprehend what's said in the protocol and letters they've got...  Remember that they're only going to be signing your prescription, you've already had Dr Curtis saying that T is what you need, it's just them that will have to take the responsibility if some freakish side effect happens.

That's quite reassuring to hear that they weren't prejudice. I will have to replan my next move now I think, as we called up at 8:01 this morning and was told everything is fully booked for 2 weeks. I said that I was told to call this morning for my specific doctor, and apparently she's fully booked as well...not sure why they told me to call first thing today if she was already fully booked x.x so looks like I will have to find someone new, gah how frustrating.